Iggy Pop explains why the Sex Pistols had “a lot of flair”
Whilst Iggy Pop has affected popular culture in an array of ways, he is best known as a punk progenitor, thanks to his widely influential turn as the frontman of Ann Arbor’s finest export, The Stooges. It reflects the immense gravity of the group’s work that they only released five albums in their time, with their three most impactful, The Stooges, Fun House and Raw Power, all arriving between 1969 and 1973.
As The Stooges’ intense music was a much darker alternative to that of their fellow Michiganders, The MC5, in Iggy Pop, they found the perfect tip of the spear. Closing the gap between the band and audience to a much tighter breadth than ever before, he supported his sinister yelps down the mic with an array of alarming onstage antics that would pave the way for everyone from GG Allin to Slipknot. From spurting blood on fans to puking everywhere and resting his member on an amp, Pop was one of the first to really put the shock factor into music.
In addition to the boundary-pushing nature of his music, these wild turns have earned Iggy Pop the famous moniker of the ‘Godfather of Punk’, meaning that he has been asked to comment on the genre that owes so much to him on numerous occasions. When speaking to The New York Times in 2019, following the release of the four-part documentary Punk, The Stooges leader commented on the most prominent band from the genre’s first wave, Sex Pistols. He explained that he believes John Lydon and his group had “a lot of flair,” contrary to popular opinion.
Starting by discussing his famous moniker, Pop reflected: “I was, initially, but now I don’t mind being called ‘Godfather of Punk;’ I suppose I’ve grown into the suit! There are occasional personal feelings that come from one-on-one interactions, when someone lets me know something genuine about the role that my work played in their life. When any type of music is still enjoying its vitality — that’s a social influence. And then, as people carry on that style and figure out how to further produce it, the style becomes academic, by really imperceptible steps.”
It was then put to Pop that he had previously said that Sex Pistols were honest with their fans because they always told them they weren’t to be trusted. The Stooges frontman responded: “I said, ‘They always thought they were honest.’ I don’t remember applauding anybody for saying, ‘Don’t trust me.’ I was much more impressed with their onstage ability than whether they were swindled out of thousands of dollars by their manager [Malcolm McLaren]. I just don’t care. But that doesn’t mean [McLaren] was not an effective Barnum-type showman. He was, you know? And that’s fine.”
Looking back at the British band’s collective aptitude, he concluded: “The group, as a whole, had a lot of flair. Johnny Lydon is very good at the things you’re supposed to be good at when you front a group. And [the guitarist Steve Jones] was a really good foil for Johnny, especially when it came to doing publicity. Everybody contributed something musically, or in terms of image, to the group.”
Watch the Sex Pistols in action below.
